Category Archives: Karnataka

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Bangalore day trips, Festivals of India, Karnataka

Three immersive cultural experiences in Bengaluru

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Despite being a cosmopolitan hub, Bengaluru is a metropolis that still firmly holds onto its cultural essence. There may be several festivals being celebrated year-round and across the city but a few of them transcend beyond any religion and community and are rather synonymous with the city’s name. Through this post, I would like to enumerate three such festivals that must be on any Bengaluru resident or tourist’s list of experiences whilst in the city.

1. Bengaluru Karaga

    This nine-day festival is a reverence to Adishakti Draupadi and a celebration of her annual homecoming to earth from heaven, on the day of Chaitra Poornami as per the Hindu calendar. Although a main festival of the Thigala community living across Karnataka, people of all castes and religions participate in it. The Karaga bearer (the chief person in the festivities) carries the Karaga (the deity) bedecked with jasmine flowers and begins the procession from Shri Dharmaraya Swamy temple in Nagarathpete, in old Bengaluru. The Karaga bearer is accompanied by the gante dhaari (bell bearer) and hundreds of veerakumaras who together traverse across the streets of the Bengaluru Pete area. The Karaga visits all the temples and the Mastan Saheba Dargah that come along the route until they return to the Shri Dharmaraya Swamy temple before dawn break the following morning.

    Though the festival is observed for nine days, the rituals involving the Karaga bearer spans over several months prior to it. One part of the ritual involves the Karaga bearer undergoing his strength and weight training at one of the several Garadi mane (traditional gyms). Hence, these Garadi manes are considered holy places where replicas of the Karaga and placed and worshipped during the festival. Also, several temples located in the Pete area take out floral palanquins of their deities on procession across the streets of Pete. All these things make Bengaluru Karaga, a special experience.

    Similar Karaga festivals are observed in outskirts of Bengaluru like Hoskote, Kolar, Malur etc. But Bengaluru Karaga is one of its kind and experiences.

    2. Ulsoor Poo Pallakki Utsava

    Bangalore’s reputation as a garden city finds a reflection in various traditional festivities of the city. Just as flowers are integral to Karaga, there is another famous festival that has flowers in its very name. The ‘Poo Pallakki Utsava’ is an annual car festival celebrated as part of the Someshwara temple festival in the old locality of Ulsoor. Albeit being a temple festival, it is rather better known as an annual competition between gods and goddesses from temples in and around Ulsoor over which one arrives in the best flower-bedecked palanquin. The car festival is believed to be the wedding day of Someshwara with Kamakshi, and flowers are the theme of all decorations.

    There will be over 80 poo pallakkis from the surrounding temples who attend the wedding celebration of Sri Someshwara Temple with Goddess Kamakshi. The grandest Poo Pallaki is one of the bride, Goddess Kamakshi. Celebrated annually during the Hindu month of Chaitra (around April/May), it is a night long event.

    3. Kadlekai Parishe

    ‘Kadlekai Parishe’ translating to ‘groundnut fair’ in Kannada is an annual coming together of farmers on the last Monday of Karthika Masa (month in Hindu calendar) celebrated since the 16th century. Legend has it that a raging bull used to damage the groundnut crops that were ready for harvest. The farmers prayed to Basava (bull in Kannada) to protect their harvest, by setting up an idol of a Nandi (Basava / Bull) and a temple at that place and offered their first crop to the Lord. This temple is called Basavanagudi (Bull temple) and the area surrounding it eventually came to be known by the name of the temple.

    Although the groundnut farms made way to residential and commercial structures, the tradition of the groundnut fair is celebrated with great fervor and enthusiasm even today. Farmers from across the state bring their first yield of ground nuts to offer to the temple and to sell them to others during this festival.

    More recently, a similar event is being organized in Malleswaram, around the Kadu Malleswara temple as well.

      Bangalore day trips, Karnataka

      A weekend hike from Bengaluru- Akkayammana Betta

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      On a random day, we decided to drive towards Kempegowda International Airport with a basic idea to catch the sunset from a nice vantage point. We have explored the Devanahalli fort area on one of our previous day trips and wanted to explore some new places around there. But this time, we had a new family member along with us whose comfort was also meant to be kept in mind while choosing the destination- Our pet dog.

      By looking up a little on google, we came across the sunset point from ‘Akkayammana Betta’. We drove up right until its base where we parked our car and unleashed our dog to freely walk up the small hillock with us. The climb up was easy, leading to a welcome arch of the hilltop temple.

      Akkayammana Betta
      The climb and the welcome arch to Akkayammana Betta

      We walked further and reached a small temple under a large peepal tree that remained closed at the time of our visit. Beyond that was a large rocky tabletop hill offering a view of the surrounding villages and farms.

      Akkayammana Betta
      The temple and the wooden cart at Akkayammana Betta

      While our dog got busy enjoying his time in a puddle of rainwater, we comforted ourselves on the rocky ground watching him enjoy his dip as the sky was prepping itself to see-off the setting sun for the day. Until sunset, the airplanes landing and taking-off at the KempeGowda International airport kept us accompanied. It was a beautiful sunset.

      Akkayammana Betta
      The route from the temple to the hilltop view point at Akkayammana Betta

      After that, we took a walk from across the hill and passed by a few other smaller shrines at the top before descending towards our car. As we approached the temple arch, I noticed a petty shop that sold some eatables and soft drinks. We took a small snack break and fed biscuits to the stray dogs that had followed us. We reached back to the car before it got dark and headed back towards the city, thus ending a short day-out.

      Bangalore day trips, Indian Architecture, Karnataka, Nature & Wildlife

      A daytrip from Bengaluru- Adi Chunchanagiri

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      Adi-Chunchanagiri mutt is the spiritual headquarters of the Natha Parampara and Jogi Cult of Hindus of Karnataka. My dad, who had earlier visited this place with his friends, happened to insist on going there again with his family. His intention was not to take us on the spiritual path but rather to introduce us to a hiking path which he found picturesque after having ascended.

      One Saturday morning, our family set forth to enjoy this day trip towards Adi-Chunchanagiri. We drove towards Hassan, along an excellent highway until Bellur cross from where we had to take a deviation towards Adi-Chunchanagiri betta (hill) as indicated on google-maps. There on, we enjoyed our drive through the countryside, with traditional homes scattered between vegetable farms, coconut groves, and forest patches of brown boulders and green trees. Google is not always right and that’s why we deviated from the course a little more than necessary until we found the correct track again. But it was the deviation which we enjoyed. We realized that the region is declared as Adi-Chunchanagiri peacock sanctuary. It was no surprise that dozens of peacocks were grazing freely on every other farm, moving around at every turn of the road and everywhere else along our way right until we reached the parking lot at the base of the Adi-Chunchanagiri hill.

      Adichunchanagiri
      Top: The first glimpse of the Adichunchanagiri premises; Below: The entrance tower of the main temple

      The initial approach towards the mutt premises starts with an ascent of about 100 steps leading to the welcome gate/ arch giving a visitor the first glimpse of the main temple. The large doors of the main temple opened into an ambience that felt divine and calm. It is entirely built with stones, and it gives a feeling of being in one of the ancient Dravidian temples though this one was built in modern times. The deities believed to be residing inside and revered highly by the pilgrims here are Sri Kalabhairaveshwara Swamy and Sri Stambhambika (Kambadamma).

      After sitting there for some time, we began our ascent towards the peak of the hill. Just after coming out of the main temple, there is a large Ganesha idol sculpted out of the rocky wall of the surrounding. We continued our climb by passing by some smaller temples with a look around offering beautiful views of the green cover.

      Adichunchanagiri
      The temples and shrines at the Adichunchanagiri hill

      Scores of people were seen climbing up and down for pilgrimage purposes. The climb to the hilltop is done to see the Panchalingas comprising Gangadhareshwara, Malleshwara, Katthale Someshwara, Gavisiddeshwara and Chandramouleshwara, whose temples or shrines are scattered along the trail leading to the summit. But we were there to hike that hill as a recreational activity for the weekend. We climbed up the steep stairs right up to the top with the trail splitting at random places. My family ended up getting lost from each other’s’ sight and then picked whatever trail lied ahead of us and met each other again at the top. Well, not the peak exactly, but just beneath it.

      That’s where I gave up any further climb. The peak point of the hillock is known as Akasha Bhairava. It can be reached by climbing the last bit of the rocky hill which had no stairs but only with the aid of a big, suspended metal chain. It was a straight climb (almost 90 deg. gradient) which included a small jump from one rock to an another. I doubted my ability to descend safely even if I were able to reach the peak. My brother, on the other hand, climbed it up and down with so much ease (and grace) demonstrating that he still possessed his ancestors’ (apes) strongest traits.

      Adichunchanagiri hill
      The view from the top where I was standing beneath the last rock which leads to the peak

      After he returned, we all came down towards the main temple where we were guided towards the dining hall. We devoured the delicious temple food before heading back towards Bangalore.

      We started back just after lunch to avoid the weekend traffic at Bangalore. But, if you are interested to cover more places in this day, you can google for some of the Hoysala temples along your way and add it into your itinerary.

      Bangalore day trips, Karnataka

      A day hike from Bengaluru- Kunagalu Betta

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      My friends and I picked yet another hill-top around Bengaluru for a day hike. ‘Kunagalu Betta’ on Kanakapura road, it was. We reached there early in the morning before the rest of the world discovered it (for that day). The car could go on to most stretch of the steep road until we parked it beside a small structure built for lord Hanuman by the roadside, under a large rock.

      We started our hike uphill where the route was lined with several trees of custard apples for most stretch. After a kilometer of so, we came across a large rock that formed a cave-arch-like structure that kept the atmosphere inside very cool. After climbing out of the arch, it opened into the sky above a flat hill-top that offered a beautiful view of the other hills around. Do you remember my hike to Acchalu betta, where we went to find a statue of a Nandi on the hill-top? (you can read that story here). A similar Nandi was erected on this hilltop also, which was then overlooked by an ancient temple further atop a rocky outcrop from there.

      The Cave like formation at Kunagalu Betta

      To reach there, we crossed a small wooden brook formed out of a tree branch and then climbed to the peak where the temple stood. We sought the almighty’s blessings which mark the end of the ascent of the hike for most people. We had barely climbed a kilometer and half, and it didn’t feel like a hike yet considering we had done longer trails even on day trips. The breeze was cool, strong and yet soothing and hence, we decided to sit there and spend some time feeling the wind in our hair.

      Kunagalu betta
      The Nandi Statue atop Kunagalu betta

      We then looked around and decided to find our own way to the adjacent hill from there. We climbed down the temple hill and climbed up the adjacent one. We again climbed it down and navigated our way through thick bushes and thorns to ascend yet another small peak. On that peak, we got a sense of getting lost if we tried to explore more hills because at that point, we were the only people and there was no trail that had worn out to lead us anywhere if we were lost. We descended that hill and were trying to find the direction that would lead us back to the temple.

      Kunagalu Betta Peak
      The view from Kunagalu Betta peak

      Just then, our eyes caught a small slope in a random direction and all of us decided to explore one last random trail before heading back. We walked in that direction where the tall grass seemed to need some wear. We walked down further and suddenly out of nowhere; we were in for a surprise. There was a flight of stairs chiseled out of the rocks which was leading downwards. Finding stairs out of nowhere was a surprise, but what assured us was that the stairs would lead us somewhere interesting. Perhaps an abandoned piece of history? We thought as we headed in that direction.

      Kunagalu Betta
      In quest to explore the lost history at Kunagalu Betta

      The grass laden stairs quickly cleared up to the view of a dozen motorbikes all parked side-by-side. That’s when we realized that we had already reached the parking lot. We had found a shortcut on our quest to explore random trails in random directions. Thus ended our quick hike to Kunagalu Betta. I picked up a bag from the car and tried to pluck as many custard apples as possible before heading back.

      In conclusion, it was a short and easy hike. You can combine it with Acchalu betta or any other hike on Kanakapura road and make it a full-day activity.

      Festivals of India, Karnataka

      The Povvadi Namme of Ibbanivalavadi

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      It was back during my school going days, that I had an opportunity to visit the Haleri (Paaleri) Bhadrakali temple in Madikeri taluk. I was especially intrigued by several antlers hung on the wooden beams through the length of the temple verandah. Upon enquiry, the temple priest fed my curiosity by letting me know that the antlers are used during the temple festival to perform ‘Kombaat.’ Kombaat is a word derived as a combination of two Kodava words, Kombu (antler) and Aat (dance). It is one of the ritualistic dances performed during temple festivals of Bhadrakali, a local deity of Kodagu. Ever since then, I was trying to get details or the schedule to witness one of these festivals where Kombaat is performed.

      Finally, it was in the year 2024 when my friend informed me that the Povvadi festival at her native village was scheduled to be held in April. After a long wait, I had finally arrived at the ‘Kaitale’ (ground) attached to the ‘Bhadrakali temple’ of Valavadi village. ‘Ibbani’ and ‘Valavadi’ are two sister villages in Madikeri taluk. The annual temple festival is hosted by each of these two villages on alternating years at the Bhadrakali temple premises of the respective village. This year, it was the turn of Valavadi villagers to host this festival. There are eleven clans that are the original inhabitants of Ibbanivalavadi. Therefore, they take precedence in the conduction of the overall festival.

      Brief history of Povvadi festival:

      Bhadrakali, also known as Bhagavathi or Povvadi, is a local deity worshipped in every village of Kodagu with dedicated temples. The annual festival celebrated in her honor is the Povvadi festival. There are several native communities in Kodagu and each of these members have their own significant roles and responsibilities to be performed at these festivals.

      ‘Maadayi Kaavu’ is a Bhagavathi temple located in the Malabar region of Kerala. It is believed to be the Aadi Neley (primary destination) from where the deity took station at several places across Kodagu. Among these places, is a group of temples called as the ‘Elu Neley’ (seven station) Bagavathi located across the northern and western parts of Kodagu. This group comprises of one brother- Appangeriappa at Kaatakeri and six sisters, namely- Poramalenaad Povvadi at Galibeedu, Karavale Badaga Povvadi, Paaleri Povvadi, Ummeti Povvadi at Makkandur, Kedakal Povvadi, Ibbni and Valavadi Povvadi at Ibbanivalavadi

      Peeli aat

      Details of the Povvadi Namme at Valavadi

      The beginning of the festivities is marked by a ritual called as ‘Kett boovo’. Thereafter, none in the village is allowed to consume non-vegetarian and alcohol over the next fifteen days. The festival is celebrated towards the last seven days with specific rituals on each day.

      Kombaat

      On the first day, the Ooru-thakka (Village-keepers), Deva-thakka (Keepers of the temple administration) and Bandara-thakka (Keepers of the temple’s valuables) all arrive in a grand procession, carrying the Bandara-Potti (Donation box) and the jewelry for the deity from its treasury to the temple. This marks the beginning of the festival. The people are accompanied by the music of the ‘Dudi’ and ‘Poda mani’ kott (traditional percussion instruments). There are noteworthy rituals like the Boad kali, boad aat etc. among others.

      There are other rituals performed over the next three days. The fifth day is the most interesting as several traditions unique to the ‘Elu Neley’ Bagavathi temples can be witnessed. The day began with ‘Kadi-aat’ followed by a ritual called Aangola-Pongola. It is performed by married couples as an offering to the goddess after their prayers for having children are fulfilled. The vow is fulfilled by their kids by cross-dressing in a wedding ceremonial attire any time before they hit puberty. A son dresses up as a traditional bride (Pongola) and a daughter wears a groom’s costumes (Pongola) as the family together offers their prayers to the Goddess.

      Kombaat

      Then, all the men of the native clans get dressed in ‘Boltha Kupya’- The white robe worn only on auspicious occasions. They then hold a bundle of peacock feathers (peeli) in their hands and perform a rhythmic dance to drumbeats in a circular formation around a ‘Kutthi bolcha’ (traditional lamp). This dance is called ‘Peeli-aat’. Post the performance, the crowd dispersed from the kaitale and gathered around the temple.

      Here, the men in white kupya again perform the Kombaat to the beats of the traditional drums and Valaga (traditional wind instruments played by the members of the Meda community). Along with the ‘Ajjappa,’ (a person possessed by the spirit of ‘Ajjappa’, another local deity), all the other men in white Kupya circumambulate the temple while dancing with the Kombu and Chowri (a cluster of yak hair).

      After that, all the villagers gathered to offer bandara to Ajjappa and Bhadrakali. After everyone had finished offering their prayers, they then went back to the podium with a spirit that was competitive. Competitive, because the next ceremony was like a competition of sorts. All the native clans of the village competed against each other in a coconut shooting competition. Three coconuts tied to a distant high pole were to be shot at as targets. It was a fun event to end the day of festivities.

      After the sun went down, the men came together in an area nearby to the temple to offer animal sacrifice to the deity. Women are not allowed to this space. The food is then distributed among all the village folk.

      Povvadi Namme, Kodagu
      Povvadi Namme, Kodagu

      On the following day, there is a similar celebration with Kombaat and Valaga, but on a smaller grandeur. on the seventh day of the festival, a pooja is offered to the goddess by all the thakkas, before returning the bandara potti and the temple jewelry to the treasury. The last and the final day of the fortnight long festival was marked by a ‘Kalasa Pooja’ offered to the goddess before drawing curtains on such a beautiful festival until next year.

      Disclaimer: The purpose of this article is for documentation of lesser known festivals of India. The above information is only based on what I could gather by discussing with people who had come together at the temple. My apologies for any wrong representation. Readers are welcome to contribute any information that is deemed important and useful to be shared here.

      This post was featured  on 24-Oct-24 edition of ‘Spectrum’ in Deccan Herald National daily.

      Bangalore day trips, Karnataka, Statewise Travel

      Day hike from Bengaluru- Acchalu betta

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      My friend had learnt about a hill in Kanakapura Taluk through a YouTube documentary. ‘A large statue of Nandi, the sacred bull of Lord Shiva has been installed at the peak of the hill which can be reached by foot, through a hike,’ he told me. A hike plan was charted, and a few common friends joined us over a weekend to see this ‘statue of the Nandi’ located at the peak of ‘Acchalu Betta.’

      We started from Bengaluru quite early that morning and had our breakfast at a popular location at Kanakapura. From there, we followed google maps to Acchalu village and arrived at a small village temple located on the foothills of a large monolithic hillock. Based on what we had read online, we knew this hill was what we were supposed to summit. We parked our car beside the temple, but we were not sure of the hiking trail that would lead us to the top.

      The temple at the foothills of Acchalu Betta

      Beyond the temple was a mud-road which we planned to walk further. We walked about a kilometer and realized that vehicles could have been driven until that point. There was yet another temple with an open field around which provided ample space for parking. Anyway, we did not mind the additional kilometer we had walked. From there began the actual hike to Acchalu betta.

      The entire trail is nicely made with the kaccha roads cleared off all rocks, boulders, and grass, making it easy to walk and good to drive with a 4W-drive vehicle. However, the initial stretch had been washed down by the recent rain, so there was no way a vehicle could drive past that. After this stretch was over, it was an effortless walk to the peak, but through a thick canopy of bamboo forests. It is frequented by elephants which was evident with freshly dropped dungs enroute.

      The initial trail of Acchalu betta hike

      The canopy then opened to a rocky outcrop offering a panoramic view of Bengaluru cityscape at the horizon. There was an old guesthouse that is abandoned and used by nighthawkers as a place to have a bonfire party.
      A short, paved pathway from there leads to a small pond filled with white lilies. We sat there for a while before proceeding towards the statue that we had motivated us to ascend this hill. The statue of a lone bull (the Holy Nandi) sat gracefully overlooking the cityscape beneath. We too sat there at his foot soaking in the calmness that was swept in by the strong wind that was blowing there. Nandi is the mythological vehicle of Lord Shiva. Hence, a small shrine dedicated to Shiva exists opposite to the statue. It is in fact, a small rocky outcrop under a large tree which is worshipped as the presiding deity. We bowed our heads down to seek his blessings before commencing our return hike.

      The lilly pond at the peak of Acchalu betta with the Nandi statue in the backdrop

      On our way back, we wanted to explore a shortcut to the base and hence, decided to follow an electric line that connected to pole at the place where we had parked our cars. This route was indeed beautiful and interesting as compared to our ascent. This descent was more open to the skies, with lot of green bamboo patches scattered amidst large brown boulders with a constant company of the blowing winds. It was no doubt shorter but was steeper and harder for amateur hikers.

      A day hike to Acchalu betta, weekend plan near Bengaluru
      The shrine dedicated to Shiva, facing the Nandi statue at Acchalu betta peak

      The good decision to explore a new trail came with its own set-of challenges, especially in the last stretch. As the path was unused for ages, thick thorny bushes had taken over the trail. We did not carry any tools with us that would help us to clear our path as we walked ahead. Hence, we tried all methods to navigate our way through the last few meters of our hike. But in the pursuit, we slid a few slopes, our clothes and hair got entangled in the bushes and we came out with bruises all over our limbs, bums and back. We rolled down the hill and got out on an open farm on whose side stood our car.

      The bruises did not bother us as we returned with the content that we had conquered another hill around Bengaluru.

      Watch the Acchalu betta hiking trail here
      Festivals of India, Karnataka

      The Boad Namme of Chembebellur

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      ‘Boad’ in Kodava language means to beg/ request. ‘Namme’ translates to ‘festival.’ Thus, the ‘Boad Namme’ can be loosely called as the festival in which the people of Kodagu request ‘Goddess Bhagavati’ to grant their wishes.

      The Boad namme is observed across Bhagavathi temples located in several villages in the southern part of Kodagu district, in series. The first Boad of the year starts at the temple of Kunda and the last one is observed at Parana village. Kudure (Horse) worship is an integral part of the Boad namme. In this, a young boy belonging to a designated clan from the respective village dresses up in the costumes of a horse and participates in the various ceremonies during the festival. Hence, it is said that ‘Kundath-ra Bott-le nenda Kudure, Parana mani-le ilinja Kudure.’ Translating to ‘the horse which rises at Kunda will only settle at Parana.’

      I will talk about these two Boad festivals in separate posts. Among a series of all other Boad namme that are observed across villages in South Kodagu, I am starting from the middle, at Chembebellur village. The Boad Namme of Chembebellur is among the most popular of them all. It is observed over a period of four days and usually happens around the last week of April of each year.

      Day one is Pattani. People belonging to all the native clans of Chembebellur observe ‘Fast’ on this day.

      Day two is Kudure. Three young boys representing three clans of the three main Keris (areas) of Chembebellur i.e., Ajjinakanda clan of Podakeri, Coluvanda clan of Podakote and Chembanda clan of Nadikeri wear the costumes resembling horses (Kudure) and start from their respective Ain mane (clan’s ancestral home). They are accompanied by men impersonating other local deities of the village like Choundi, Aiyappa and the others during their march towards the Bhadrakali temple where they all assemble and hold the following rituals. Post this, there is a fire set up in front of the temple in which effigies are burnt.

      Kudure at Chembebellur Bhadrakali temple
      Day 2: Kudure at Chembebellur Bhadrakali temple

      The gathering then moves towards the village’s ‘Eshwara temple’ where the rest of the men and boys of all age groups dress up in various costumes. This dressing-up is a form of a vow they make to invoke Goddess Bhadrakali’s blessings. The costumes could range from traditional Bund-kali (Mud-smearing), Pill-Bhoota (Hay man), Puli-vesha (Tiger costume) etc. to more modern forms of cricketers, Llamas, swamijis, seducers etc. These dressed up men folk visit every house of Chembebellur asking/begging’ for alms all night and it is a fun time for all the households who host these men in the houses.

      Day Three is Boad. This part of the festival is the most awaited and the highlight of the four-day celebration. All the dressed men congregate at the Bhadrakali temple in the afternoon. They are accompanied by the men impersonating the local deities as well. They all together circumambulate the temple thrice and go around begging form alms from the thousands of people who gather there to participate in the festivities. The end of the circumambulation marks the end of the Boad where all the men collectively offer all the money collected through begging to the Goddess and seek her blessings.

      Day 3- Boad festival at Chembebellur Bhadrakali temple

      Day four is Choole. Young boys who are yet to reach adolescence, cross-dress in attire of Kodava women and offer their prayers at the Bhadrakali temple. This day marks the end of a fun and yet traditionally rooted festival of Chembebellur, paving way for a Boad namme to start at yet another village of South Kodagu.

      Disclaimer: The purpose of this article is for documentation of lesser known festivals of India. The above information is only based on what I could gather by discussing with people who had gathered at the temple. My apologies for any wrong representation. Readers are welcome to contribute any information that is deemed important and useful to be shared here.

      Bangalore day trips, Indian Architecture, Karnataka

      The Hoysala Trail 2- Belavadi

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      In my wish list to visit as many Hoysala temples as possible in this lifetime, this is the second documentation. I started this series with the temples of Belur and Halebidu, as these were the erstwhile capital cities of the Hoysala. I will move on from there.

      Continued from The Hoysala Trail 1- Belur & Halebidu

      Belavadi is a quaint little village located approximately an hour away from the Hoysala capital town, Belur. The Veera Narayana swamy temple of Belavadi is one of those where the main idol of the presiding deity is still intact and regular prayers continue to be offered. The intricacy of the artwork on stone is very similar to that of the temples at Belur and Halebidu.

      Veeranarayanaswamy temple, Belavadi
      Images: Veeranarayanaswamy temple, Belavadi Top: Outer entrance gate to the temple Below: Inner entrance to main shrine at Veeranarayanaswamy temple, Belavadi

      Unlike the main Gopuram (temple tower) at Belur, the entrance gate at the Belavadi temple is small. There are two ornate statues of two elephants that greets you inside. The sculpture on the outer wall is simple and minimalistic. as you enter, you notice that the inner walls are plain. It is possible that these were stolen, vandalized, or lost over the course of time, only historians can tell me better.

      Veeranarayana swamy temple, Belavadi
      The sculptures on the exterior of Veeranarayana swamy temple, Belavadi

      As you walk past this entrance gate, arch you pass the courtyard and are greeted again by a pair of standing elephant statues into the main temple that encompasses the shrines in the trikuta style of temple architecture. The three shrines inside houses idols of Lord Vishnu in three different forms. Huge lathe turned stone pillars and walls bearing fine and intricately carved figurines adorn the inner walls of the temple where photography is prohibited at the time of my visit (in July-2022).

      Veeranarayana swamy temple, Belavadi
      The Trikuta temple towers at Veeranarayana swamy temple, Belavadi

      The outer walls are equally gorgeous too with intrinsic stone carvings and embossings all over. Due to limited permissions for photography, my photo story here consists only of photos of the exterior of the temple, but more than sufficient to give an idea of this marvel.

      Veeranarayana swamy temple, Belavadi
      The inner and the main entrance of Veeranarayana swamy temple, Belavadi

      Also, a walk around the tiny hamlet of Belavadi is highly recommended. I loved the unique design of these traditional houses that emanated a vibe of an old world.

      To be continued as Hoysala Trail 3

      Karnataka

      A summer weekend in the placid coast of Karnataka

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      Heard of the potential of Aqua-tourism in Karnataka? We did just that. Read Further.

      Water activities like kayaking, surfing, and diving are slowly catching up with enthusiasts, both for recreation and as a sport. Thanks to favorable winds, some of the most serene estuaries with mangrove ecosystems and untouched diving spots, Karnataka’s coastal region has been attracting enthusiasts and vacationers from all over. It was a family road trip driving down from the hills of Kodagu to the coast of Karnataka.

      Just like the gad-bad ice-cream that originated in this region, our itinerary was packed with experiences. We wanted to see the bioluminescent waters. Bioluminescence is a naturally occurring phenomenon in which the microorganisms present in the water emit light when disturbed thus making the water glow. The darker the surroundings, the better the visibility of this phenomenon. Hence, we had signed up for a night kayaking session on a no-moon night in the backwaters of river Shambavi at Mulki. We chose to camp by the riverbank to have a closer connection to the waters.

      Campsite at Shambavi river bank, Mulki
      Our Campsite at Shambavi river bank, Mulki

      After arriving at the campsite and while my parents enjoyed their time strolling around the place, my brother and I took our lessons on taming the waves with the surfboards. Although my brother was quick to get the knack of balancing himself on the surfboard, I fell into the water several times before finally getting it right. It was a fun session under the harsh sun until we returned to the campsite. We then tried some wakeboarding in the backwaters and then headed towards the beach again, to see the sunset.

      Padubidri beach is among the only twelve beaches in India and two in Karnataka to have the blue flag certification. The drive to the beach itself was a beautiful experience with coconut trees towering over the narrow road running parallel to the sea. With all facilities including clean washrooms and good restaurants, the swim, and the sunset at Padubidri was one for the books. After grabbing some refreshments at the stalls there, we headed back to our campsite to relax a bit before the beautiful night that had to follow.

      Since it was a no-moon night, the tides had caused the water levels to rise. It was pitch dark as we set our individual kayaks out into the water and began to paddle along the river. Geared with life jackets and our oars, we were ready to set the water ablaze, quite literally! We had no sense of where we were going but to follow a faint beam of torch light on the first kayak that guided us in the correct direction. The magic slowly started to unfold in the water after we had covered a certain distance. The glowing waters peaked while we all had gathered at the river mouth on our kayaks. Although, it is said that bioluminescent waters are a sign of unhealthy water, I convince myself of not being guilty of enjoying this experience. We all screamed with joy as we splashed the blue waters on each other with our hands and our paddles. With each dip of our hand in the river, our arms would glow in neon blue, which seemed nothing but a fairytale.

      Kayaking in Shambavi backwaters
      Kayaking in Shambavi backwaters

      The following morning, we drove up to the temple town of Murudeshwara to score off yet another item on my bucket list. At about 20 kilometers off the coast of this temple town is Netrani island, a strategic patch of land controlled by the Indian Navy. Although entry to the island itself is restricted, the surrounding waters are open for public access during the spring months each year. This area is one of the best dive-sites in mainland India and that’s why I had been contemplating a visit here. We had pre-booked our slot for scuba diving with one of the several diving agencies around there.

      Soon after filling out forms, a boat arrived at the beach to take us on a ride of approximately one hour to reach the dive spot. Our family was accompanied by a few other travelers, who like us were enthusiastic about their dive. Enroute, the instructions were given to everyone on the boat, both first timers and experienced. After reaching the site, without wasting time sitting inside the boat and waiting for our turn to scuba dive, we grabbed the snorkel gears and jumped into the water. The view inside had already set a good momentum for the expectations we had for the deep dive. Soon, each of us took turns to go underwater, touch the seabed and live our moments in a new world under the water. Especially for my sexagenarian parents, it was something that they hadn’t done before, and they felt a sense of accomplishment. It was evening by the time we returned to the shore with our boat tossing hard in the unusually rough sea.

      Murudeshwar temple during Sunset
      Murudeshwar temple during Sunset

      We freshened up at a nearby lodge before visiting the Murudeshwara temple. We called it a day while watching the sun go down from atop the temple tower. It is highly recommended that this spring-summer trip to the coast of Karnataka should go onto everyone’s bucket list!

      Bangalore day trips, Karnataka, Nature & Wildlife, Statewise Travel

      Bannerghatta beyond zoo- Bilikal Ranganathaswamy betta

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      Initially, when a friend mentioned the destination for an impromptu drive on a Saturday morning, I hoped to correct him by telling it was ‘Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Betta’. “No, it is Bili-Kal’, he specified. ‘Bili’ translates to ‘white’ in Kannada. ‘Giri’ means ‘hill’. ‘Kallu’ means ’stone/ rock’. In this context, we were both talking about two different destinations. Although the presiding deity at the temples located atop both these hills are common, Biligiri is more popular than its counterpart at Bilikal. While Biligiri forms the core of Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple (BRT) tiger reserve, Bilikal is in the heart of a reserve forest that comes under Kodihalli wildlife division of Bannerghatta National Park. So, this time, we were heading to ‘Bilikal Ranganathaswamy Betta’, the closest of the two to Bangalore city limits, reachable through Kanakapura road.

      We stopped by Halagur town for breakfast which has several old and popular eateries that serve unique types and authentic recipes of idlis for breakfast. (Comment below if you need hotel recommendations). Post this break, we followed google maps to reach our destination.

      There is a forest check post enroute where one needs to make an entry to continue the journey ahead. The temple hill can be summited via two routes, one is a trek route with stairs, and another is through an unpaved road that is clearly marked till the end. Although four-wheel drive is not mandatory for those opting to drive up, it is recommended to have a vehicle with good ground clearance.

      Bilikal ranganathaswamy temple
      Bilikal ranganathaswamy temple, Rear view of the Monolithic rock

      Upon reaching the peak, it was a large open area which came as quite a surprise. While one side of the hill had the temple pond dug into the edge of the rocky hill, the main temple of Ranganathaswamy is located on another side of the hill, overseeing a magnificent view of the surrounding hills. The main deity is carved out of a large monolithic rocky outcrop on the hill, which makes this place unique among all that I had visited thus far. There is a small sculpture on this rock which we were told is the original figurine of worship until it was damaged many years ago. Since then, an alternate idol has been carved out of the larger rock and a simple temple has been built outside leading into the prayer chamber within the monolithic rock.

      Next to the temple rock, is another old and small room like stone structure. A few localites who were present there told us that it was the house of an old lady Kamalamma, who lived there and had dedicated her life in the service of Lord Ranganatha. Amid the wilderness of the thick jungle, she lived all alone in the belief that Ranga was her caretaker. She was accompanied by a few cattle that lived there whose milk was used to distribute buttermilk to pilgrims who arrived there every Saturday after a tiring ascent by foot (before the drivable route was laid out). She is no more, and her tomb is now housed inside the structure where she lived.

      Bilikal ranganathaswamy temple, front view of the rock temple

      A short climb from this structure is another viewpoint, where one can sit on the rocky outcrop under the shade of the surrounding trees and take in some good views of the valley around. We returned after spending some time there. Overall, this was a pleasant and an offbeat outing from the city.

      Things to note:

      • The temple and the forest check-post are open for public access only on Saturdays. Only one Pooja is offered to the deity, once per week.
      • The annual temple fair is held here in January when a wooden temple car is assembled and taken around the rock-temple.
      • All along our way, we observed a lot of fresh elephant dung. Hence, we are certain that the trail is frequented by elephants and other wild animals at all times of the day. As both the routes pass through dense forest, it is recommended to comply with all guidelines laid by the forest department.

      Other nearby places that you can combine your visit with:

      • Shri Govinakallu Anjaneya swami temple (an offroad drive in the same forest limits)
      • Mekedaatu and Sangama
      • Muthathi riverbank
      • Galibore fishing camp
      • Bheemeshwari adventure and nature camp
      Bilikal Ranganatha swamy temple